Carton



Nov. 22, 1966 N. D. ELLIS 3,286,908

CARTON Filed March 29, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: NICHOLAS D. ELLIS BM, bw/MM HIS ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5

N. D. ELLIS CARTON Nov. 22, 1966 Filed March 29, 1965 FIG. 4

NICHOLAS D. ELLLs HIS ATTORNEYS INVENTORS 911i@ Statement 3,286,908 Y ,CARTON Y Nicholas D. Ellis, La Due, Mo., assgnor to Anheuser- Busch, Incorporated, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of MissouriVV u Filed Mar. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 443,281 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-44) This invention relates to an improved carton formed of relatively inexpensive material, such as corrugated board, and designed for multiple use in shipping and storing relatively heavy articles, such as bottles of beer.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive multiple trip carton which can be erected, loaded, and closed on high speed automatic equipment. Another object is to provide a multiple trip carton made from one piece of corrugated board, having end cover brackets which are shortened to eliminate bending, tearing, and catching of the end cover brackets when the cartonsare palletized. Another object is to eliminate the conventional end cover a'nges which tend to dog ear or bend in use, and use only small triangular connectors to maintain the side cover flange at an angle to the side cover ap.

These and other objects and advantages will lbecome apparent hereinafter.

The present invention is embodied in a carton made from the corrugated board, said carton having end walls and side walls, each of said side walls |having a side cover flap hinged thereto, said side cover ilap having a side cover ange positioned at an angle to said side cover flap and maintained in said position `*by end cover brackets, said side cover anges adapted to extend into a notch in the upper portion of said end walls, said end cover brackets having a' small bottom portion and extending angularly upwardly so as to cover only a small portion of the upper part of the 'end Iwalls adjacent to said notch in said end walls.

The invention also consists in the parts and in the arrangements Aand combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed. In the accompanying drawings which -form part of this specification and wherein like numerals and symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a carton blank embodying the present invention, with the inside surface shown,

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view toward one end of said carton after it has been erected,

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of said carton showing one side cover ap in open position,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the end wall showing the details of the notch therein and the handhole, and

FIG. 5 -is an enlarged fragmentary view of the end wall showing one side cover nap in its closed position.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been i1- lustrated comprises a blank B made from a sin-gle piece of substantially rectangular corrugated board with the corrugations extending in the direction of the arrow A shown in FIG. 1.

The carton iblank B shown in FIG. 1 may be rotary cut to reduce cost. The corrugated A4material is of about 275 pounds strength, but this'strength may be varied within limits without departing from the present invention.

The carton blank B is provided with longitudinal scores or fold lines 1, 2, and 3. The blank B is also provided with transverse or vertical score lines 4 which form the vertical corners of the carton C, and vertical free edges 5, which are in line with the score lines 4 and form the end edges of the side cover aps. 'Ihe blank B is also 3,286,908 Patentamt: 2% 1966 Mice provided with vertical score 'lines 5a which are slightly offset from the score'lines 4 about /s inch.` Y, j

The carton C is provided with two side walls A6, two end walls 7, and a manufacturers flap M defined along their vertical edges bythe scores 4. The side walls 6 each have a side Vbottom llap 8 hinged thereto along the bottom score 1 and a side cover ap 9 hingedly secured thereto along the upper score 2. The upper score 2 between theside Walls 6 'and side cover aps 9 may 'be cut through vat intervals to weaken it s'o that V"the covers 9 may' .be pivoted more readily. The side cover flaps 9 may be provided with 'fa finger hole in the center thereof to facilitate opening, if desired, and valso may be pro-` vided wit han inspection hole so that one bottle cap inthe case is visible without having to open a side cover flap 9. Each end wall 7 has an end bottom ap 10 hingedly connectedthereto along thebottom score 1 and an end reinforcing d ap 11 hingedly secured thereto :along the upper score 2. Each end wall 7 is provided 'with a handy hole 12 having a lower edge 13 and an upper edge 14. The end reinforcing flap 11 is adapted .to be eben't 180 along the upper-'score 2 to =be placed in juxtaposition with the innersurface of the end Wall 7` so-that its handhole 15 is in registering relation with the end wall handhole 12. The end wall 7 and endl rein-forcing ilap 11 each have a notch 16 in the center of their upper edge, said notch 16 preferably having curved inner -portions 17 thereon, Vas will be explained.

Each side cover ap 9 is `provided with a longitudinal side cover flange 18' and two small end cover brackets 19, said end cover brackets 19 being perpendicularto the side cover a'p 9 and secured in said perpendicular portion by rea'son of the tabs V20 connected to the 'end cover brackets 19, which tabs 20 are Vsecured to the .inner face of theV side cover ange 18 preferably by staples. The cover flanges 18 and tabs 20 are' adapted to t into the notches 16 when the carton is'in its erected -and closed position. The .free edges 5 are `in line with the score lines 4 to makethe side cover aps 9 theV same length as the carton C. The olfset score yline 5a allows the cover brackets 19 to move downwardly past the outer surface of the end walls 7 in parallel relation therewith so that said end cover brackets 19 do not strike the top edge of the end walls 7. The parts are dimeusioned so that the inside surface of the tab 20 adjacent to the score line along which it is hinged frictionally engages the curved surface 17 of the notch 16 to hold the side cover flap 9 in closed position.

As best shown in FIG. 5, the end cover brackets 19 are substantially triangular in shape, being very narrow at their bottom 21 and wide at their top 22 with a rear edge 23 extending angularly upwardly therebetween. Thus, the end cover brackets 19 cover only those portions 24 of the end walls 7 which are adjacent to the notches 16 and the remaining upper portions 25 of the end walls 7 remain uncovered and free from any end cover bracket 19. That is, the Vupper part 25 of the end walls 7 is not covered by an end cover bracket near the side Walls 6. The part 25 is greater than the portion 24 so that the major portion of the top part of the end wall remains uncovered by the end cover bracket 19.

The tabs 20 reinforce the inner surface of the side cover anges 18 and have sloping bottom edges 26, which slope at an angle of about 15 with an extension of the scores 5a, so that there are four thicknesses of material. The tabs 20 may be folded along the score -lines 3 but preferably are folded along the short scores 27 which are at an angle of about 15 to the score line 3. When the tabs 20 are folded along the score lines 3, the side cover ange 18 is perpendicular to the side cover ap 9, but when the tabs 20 are folded about the scores 27, the side cover anges 18 slope inwardly.

vIn .the erected position, suitable fastening means are reinforcing flaps 11 are glued to the inner surfaces of the end walls 7, and the outer surfaces of the tabs 20 are glued to the inner end portions of. the side cover anges |18. The manufacturers ap M is preferably stapledto the edge of the end Wall 7 to maintain the four walls 6 and 7 in their perpendicular position. How ever, -it is to tbe understood ythat staples or adhesive may be used as desired. n

. The present corrugated board carton C provides a carton which is suiciently strong and rigid to be used for a number of trips in the ,ordinary course of the beer business. This carton can be erected with automatic .equipment which Yholds the side cover aps in open position for4 inserting the separate partition memberand 24 bottles of beer. Only two cover aps must be closed inorder to close the carton, thereby saving labor costs over cartons having two side cover flaps and two end cover iiaps. In effect, thek usual end cover flanges have been eleminated in this carton thereby avoiding palletizing problems and saving a carton which might otherwise have to be discarded because of the end .cover flanges becoming bent or torn. The brackets 19 do not have such disadvantages,` and yet said brackets 19 do help to make the carton more rigid when the cover flaps9 are closed. Y

The corrugations run vertically in the side walls 6 and in the end walls 7, and run transversely across the side cover flaps 9 so that the free edges 5 are closed by a corrugation, thereby preventing wicking or moisture from entering between the inside and outside liners `which 'along with a corrugated sheet form the material of the side cover flaps 9.

This invention is intended to cover -all changes and modications of the example of the "inventionherein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A carton made from corrugated board, said carton having side walls and` end walls, said end walls having a notch therein, said side walls each having a side cover flap hingedly secured thereto, said side cover aps each having aside cover ange positioned:

at an angle thereto, said side cover aps each having small substantially isosceles triangular` end cover brackets connected by tabs to said side cover flange for maintaining said side cove flange in angular rela-` tion with said side cover flap, said end cover brackets having a small bottom and a wider top lthereby covering only a small portion of said end walls adjacent to said notch when said cover aps are in closed position and` rection, said side cover aps each having a sidecover` flange maintained in angular relation thereto Vby small substantially isosceles triangular end cover brackets with tabs connecting said end cover brackets and side cover z ange,-said end cover brackets having a small bottom and awider top thereby covering only a small portion of ysaid end walls adjacent to said notch when said cover flaps are in closed position and leaving the major portion of the 1 upper part of the end walls uncovered by said end cover brackets.

3. The carton set forth in claim 1 wherein each end wall is provided with an end reinforcing ap hinged thereto substantially over its entire top edge.

4. The carton set forth in claim 3 wherein the corrugation in said side cover aps run transversely across i the carton, thereby forming closed free edge` portions on said cover aps.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,548,130 4/ 1951 Stephan 229-45 IX 2,611,528 9/1952 Vadner 229-441( 2,768,778 10/ 1956 Ferguson et al 229-45` 2,858,969 11/1958 Williams 229-44 l 3,116,006 12/1963 Drnecy et` al. 229--45l GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CARTON MADE FROM CORRUGATED BOARD, SAID CARTON HAVING SIDE WALLS AND END WALLS, SAID END WALLS HAVING A NOTCH THEREIN, SAID SIDE WALLS EACH HAVING A SIDE COVER FLAP HINGEDLY SECURED THERETO, SAID SIDE COVER FLAPS EACH HAVING A SIDE COVER FLANGE POSITIONED AT AN ANGLE THERETO, SAID SIDE COVER FLAPS EACH HAVING SMALL SUBSTANTIALLY ISOCELES TRIANGULAR END COVER BRACKETS CONNECTED BY TABS TO SAID SIDE COVER FLANGE FOR MAINTAINING SAID SIDE COVER FLANGE IN ANGULAR RELATION WITH SAID SIDE COVER FLAP, SAID END COVER BRACKETS 